MICHAEL

village of Denisow, situated on an island not far from Cholmohor, in the circle of Dwintzk of the govern ment of Archangel, had the honour of his birth. Basil, his father, a peasant of the crown, was a fisherman by trade. Every summer and autumn, from ten years old to sixteen, his father used to take him to the fisheries on the White and North

seas.

They often visited Kola, and sometimes advanced to the latitude of 70°, on the Northern ocean; as Lomonossove himself used to affirm to his friends. Winter they chiefly spent at home.

The son learned to read and write from the parson of the vil lage; but his instructions were confined to the ritual, and other books of the Russian church. When he requested to be supplied with works that might give him some knowledge of the world, he was answered, that such knowledge could not be effectually acquired without the aid of Latin; but this language was

VOL. VIII. NO. .

abounded in useful Latin books. For his proficiency in arithmetic, he was indebted to his own exertions. To escape, therefore, into one of the above-mentioned cities, and devote himself to study, was an object which he long cherished in his bo

som.

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The opportunity so iously awaited, at length presented itself, in the 17th year of his age. A caravan with fish was going to Moscow; the departure of which he observed as a matter of curiosity, not exciting the least suspicion of his real design. On the following night, when his family were all asleep, he put on two shirts, and, protected from the weather only by a loose dress made of undressed skin, he began his pursuit of the caravan, and overtook it at the distance of seventy versts. The director of the caravan refused at first, to take him; but, moved by his tears and entreaties, at length. He consented to gratify his wishes of seeing Moscow. In three weeks they arrived 1

at the place of their destination, where Lomonossove past the first night in the fish market. The following morning he awoke first, and, while his companions were asleep, reflected with pain, that in Moscow he had neither friend nor acquaintance; that he could expect no as sistance from those he came with: well knowing that they, being wholly occupied with their own business, would not even think of him. Irresistible grief took possession of him ; falling on his knees, he with tears intreated Heaven not to forsake him.

At the break of day, a gentleman's steward came to order some fish; having caught sight of Lomonossove, he earnestly fixed his eye on him, and presently recognized in the youth a countryman of his own, whose face was once familiar to him. Bisny, apprised of young LomonosSove's intentions, took him to his master's house, and gave him a corner among the servants.

The director of the caravan was acquainted with a monk who lived at Moscow, and often visited him; on the present occasion he did not fail to see him the second day after his arrival. To this monk he introduced Lomonossove, expatiated on his ardent desire of learning, and entreated that he might be placed at the seminary of the convent of Zaikonospask, to which the monk belonged. The good father readily undertook the business, and soon accomplished it. As none but gentlemen's sons were admitted into this seminary, Lomonossove did not scruple to assume the title of one. The late archbishop of Kiow, then at Moscow, Theophanes, Prokopovitch, to whom Lomonossove soon after endeared himself by his diligence and rapid progress in his studies, being apprized of this circumstance, sent for him, and thus addressed him : "Fear nothing, my young friend; were all the bells of Moscow to proclaim you an impostor, I would be your defender."

Thus the young fugitive became one of the students in this conven

while his relations gave him up for lost; nor did they know where, or what he was, till the return of the caravan.

He devoted himself to study with all the ardour of a young enthusiastic mind, and his success was such as could only be expected under similar circumstances. At the end of the first half year he was promoted to the second class, and a year after he was such a proficient, that he composed small pieces of poetry in Latin. He then commenced the study of the Greek language, and the leisure hours, spent by his schoolfellows in play, he employed chiefly in exploring the stores of the convent library. Many of the books, which he found there, strengthened his knowledge of Slavonic, and, besides the various theological works of the fathers, he found physical, philosophical, and mathematical treatises. The convent library, however, was too confined to satisfy his thirst of knowledge: he earnestly besought the archemandrite to send him to Kiow, to study philosophy, physics, and mathematics; but, even there, he found to his great disappointment nothing but the mere sophistry and frivolous disputes of Aristotelian philosophy; having failed in his object, he remained at Kiow not quite a year, most of which time he spent in perusing ancient records, manuscript and other books written in Slavonic Greek and Latin.

Soon after his return to the convent of Zaiconospask, an order came from the academy of sciences at St. Petersburgh, for transferring those students who were sufficiently versed in Latin to enter on the study of physics and mathematics. Lomonossove was overjoyed at the long-wished-for opportunity, and had the satisfaction of being included, at his own desire, in the number of students sent thither.

He arrived with the rest at St. Petersburgh, and was placed in a seminary depending on the academy, where he acquired the principles of philosophy and mathematics.

His

ardour continued unabated, and he, occasionally, indulged his genius in poetry; but, of his productions at this time, none ever came before the public. He took particular delight in natural philosophy, chemistry, and mineralogy, and, at the expiration of two years, he was sent to Marburgh, in Germany, with another student, Vinskradove, to the then famous philosopher and mathematician, Christian Wolf.

Three years afterwards, by the advice of this celebrated man, he was sent to the mines of Saxony, to study mineralogy under M. Henkel, an able and practical metallist. At the end of one year he returned to the university of Marburgh, to attain the theory of that science. He did not fail of acquiring the German language, in which, while yet at Petersburgh, he was initiated. From his conversation with the German students, and from the style of their songs, he became passionately fond of German poetry. He learned by heart almost the whole works of many of the most celebrated poets; but Hinter was his favourite. He endeavoured to adapt Russian versification to German measure, and, by introducing their tambs, chorusses, and dactyls, he imparted to his native poetry a harmony, ease, and smoothness, altogether new, and, till then, unknown. The first essay of this kind appeared in his ode composed on the memorable victory of the Russians over the Turks and Tartars at Chotzin; sent from Marburgh to the president of the acade my at St. Petersburgh, Mr. Corf. It was written in the style of Hinter, in imitation of his best odes, and, when submitted to the inspection of some of the academicians, the novelty of its construction forcibly struck them, and excited their pleasure as well as applause.

The president, Corf, had it printed, and presented to the empress Ann, on her anniversary day; it was circulated among all the courtiers, and was read by every one with delight and admiration.

About this time, in the year 1790, Lomonossove married privately, at Marburgh, a daughter of his host, a taylor by trade, who, previously to his departure from that city for the Saxon mines, had made him a father.

During his residence at Mar burgh, small as was his salary, he maintained his family tolerably well, till from the unavoidable increase of expence, he was reduced to the bitterest poverty, contracted debts, and was daily threatened with imprisonment. He therefore found it necessary to abscond. From a part of one quarter's salary, which went to defray his secret expences, for his wife and family, he had not one penny left; he resolved, therefore, to beg his way to Lubec, or Holland, in order to find a passage from thence to St. Petersburgh.

a strange

Unknown to every one, even to his wife, he set off one evening direct for Holland, travelled all night, and on the third day, having passed Disselfold, he put up at the public house of a small village, where he met with a Prussian officer and soldiers on a recruiting party. Here re event befel him. The officer, thinking to have found a proper fish for his bait, politely invited Lomonossove to sit by his side, take a supper with his comrades, and drink a bumper round. At the table many praises were bestowed on the Prussian service; and our traveller was so liberally treated, that he scarcely knew what was passing. When somewhat come to himself, he found his coat decorated with a red collar, and his pockets furnished with several pieces of Prussian coin. The officer congratulated him on his entering the service, and foretold to a certainty the making of his fortune; while the rest of the soldiers emphatically saluted him as a brother.

Resistance was useless. The corporal's stick completed the argument, and Lomonossove was suddenly transformed into a Prussian soldier. Two days after, he was conducted to the fortress of Wesel,

with other recruits from the neighbourhood, firmly determined to seize the first opportunity of escap. ing, at all hazards, from his uncom fortable situation. He perceived he was particularly watched; he, therefore, strove to appear cheerful, and gratified with a soldier's life. Fortunately, he was stationed out of town, and slept in a watch house, close to a wall, sloping towards one of the back windows. Lomonossove, having taken an accurate survey of the whole position, and other conveniences necessary to facilitate his escape, attempted it boldly, and executed it successfully. He made a practice of going to bed earlier than any of his comrades; consequently he arose al ways before the rest. At midnight, when all were asleep, he silently got up, passed through the window with all possible precaution, and, to avoid being noticed by the centinels, crept on all fours up the wall; swam across the principal ditch, and that on the outside of the fortifications; passed with great difficulty the counterscarp, the palisade, and other dangerous places; and at length found himself in an open field.

To get beyond the Prussian terri. tory was the first and the most important object. He ran, with all his night, to the distance of a German mile; while his clothes were dripping wet, and the morning already began to dawn. Presently he heard the report of a cannon, the usual signal to pursue a deserter; fear redoubled his exertions. He continued to run with increased rapidity, and, looking frequently behind, observed a horseman, galloping af ter him, with full speed; but at this time he was already on the territories of Westphalia. For greater security he struck into a forest; stopped to dry his clothes, and slept till noon; when, having recruited his strength, he proceeded on his journey through Arnheim and Utrecht, and, under the fictitious name of a poor Saxon student, he arrived in safety at Amsterdam.

In this place a Russian charge d'affaires, Mr. Oldelkop, received him favourably, and sent him by water to the Russian embassador at the Hague, count Holowkin, who supplied his necessities, furnished him with money, and sent him back to Amsterdam, where he soon found an opportunity to go by sea to St. Petersburgh.

Previous to his departure from the Hague, he wrote to his wife, acquainting her with all that had befallen him since he left her, and entreating her not to write to him till she should hear again from him. On his arrival at St. Petersburgh, he was promoted to the rank of adjutant, and for a whole year forbore writing to his wife; as the circumstances of his new situation did not permit him to avow his marriage; besides, his small salary was not sufficient to maintain himself and family at St. Petersburgh, where every thing was extremely dear.

While on his way to St. Petersburgh, he dreamed that his father was shipwrecked, and cast on an uninhabited island, in the Frozen ocean, to which, in his youth, he had been, with his father, often driven by storms. This dream made a deep impression on his mind. On his arrival, his first care was to inquire among the traders of Cholmohor and Archangel concerning his father. He, at length, met his own brother, who informed him that their father had the same year gone as usual to sea, as soon as the ice was off, but had not been heard of since; that he had been missing four months, and none of the party which went with him had as yet returned. His dream recurred to him with redoubled force, and filled his mind with melancholy apprehensions. He resolv ed to apply immediately for leave of absence, to visit the fatal island he had beheld in his dream, in search of his father, and to commit his honoured remains, if found, to the earth. Circumstances, however, prevented him from ex• ecuting this plan; he was obliged